Revengers Tragedy

Revengers Tragedy is a modern day adaptation of Thomas Middleton's 17th century stage play as directed by Alex Cox (best known for writing & directing Repo Man). The story is a typical revenge scenario with Vindici (played by Christopher Eccleston) returning home after 10 years to find and kill the man who murdered his new wife.

The film is set in a semi-futuristic Liverpool. However, the dialogue is purely from the play's Jacobean period which makes it a little hard to understand. The experience is similar to watching A Clockwork Orange or Trainspotting; it takes a while to get your ear used to thick foreign accents and a language slightly different than you're used to. It was easier for me to watch it with subtitles on.

I have to admit that this movie isn't for everyone. You not only have to get used to the different language, but the stylized atmosphere doesn't give much of a clue as to where or when this may actually be taking place. However the story is simple and the performances by many well-known celebrities (including Eddie Izzard, Derek Jacobi, and Sophie Dahl) makes it worth your time.